Suction cleaner



Patented Oct. 15, 1940' maisornrenr err-ica sUerroN emanan Howard L. Schag, North Canton, illhio,l assigner to The Hoover Company, North Santen, h10,

a corporation of Ohio Application April 14, 1938, Serial No. 201,965v

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general and particuiarlyto a new and novel cleaner in which the conversion of the cleaner from an on-the-oor unit to an oi-the-iioor unit 5 automatically disconnects the agitator-driving means. More specifically the invention comprises a suction cleaner in which the surface-agitating means are actuated by a' power unit separate from that which drives the suction-creating means of the cleaner, the cleaner circuit being so designed rthat the conversion of the machine to oi-the-fioor cleaning automatically disconnects the agitator-driving unit from the power source.

It is an object of the present invention tokprovide a new and improved suction cleaner. 'It is another object of the invention to provide a suction cleaner having new and improved surfaceagitating means. A still further object of the invention is to provide a suction cleaner in which .the conversion of the machine from an on-theiioor unit to an oi-the-oor unit automatically disconnects the agitating means. A still further object oi the invention is to provide a suction lcleaner in which conversion of the machine from an on-the-loor unit to an o-the-iioor unit automatically disconnects from the power source the separate driving means of the agitating unit.

These and other more` specic objects will appear 3.0 uponreading the speciiication and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawing to which they relate.

The primary use of a suction cleaner is to clean floor coverings. A secondary use of suction 3 5 cleaners is to clean articles and fixtures which are positioned above the floor. To enable the vcleaner to perform this second function it is so designed that -it is convertible from an on-thefloor unit to an off-the-oor unit by the connec- 49 tion thereto of dusting tools. When in off-theoor use the normal surface-agitating means' which function .in on-the-oor cleaning serve no useful function. According to the present invention a separate driving unit is provided for the agitating means and the conversion of the machine to an oi-the-fioor unit automatically disconnects the' agitator-driving unit from the source of electric power thereby rendering the agitating means inoperative. A Referring now to the-drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed:

Figure l'is a side view of a suctin cleaner embodying'- the present invention with certain parts broken away and shown in section on the line i-i of Figure 2; i

ation of the As is clearly illustrated diagrammatically `ill (ci. ris-.si

Figure 2 is abottom view of thel 'cleaner illuse trated in Figure i with certain parts broken away;

` Figure `3 is a diagrammatic view ci' the electrical circuit of the cleaner illustrated in Figa' i and 2.

.a modern suction cleaner is illustrated in the drawing and is seen to comprisea casing hav;` ing a nozzle i which is formed with suriacreeerenz tacting iront and rear lips 2 and i3, respectively.

" The nozzle is interiorly connected by an air passageway d to a ian chamber E within which is positioned a suction-creating fan t carried upon the lower end of the motor shaft l. Thedriving 'motor is unshown but is positioned within the motor casing 3 immediately above the fan chamber 5. An exhaust outlet 9 is open to the fan ,chamber and has connected to it a dirt lter bag i0 which is ladapted to receive dirt-laden air. ex hausted through the outlet from the fan chamber and to i'llter the dirt therefrom permitting the clean air to escape into the surrounding atmosphere. The cleaner is movably supportedv uponA front wheels i2, i2 and rear wheels It, i3 while, v f

as in the usual suction cleaner, a pivoted handle It is provided by which the operator may exert a propelling force. The air passageway t is provided at one side, and near the eye Il of the fan chamber, with a converter seat i6 which is adapted to receive a removable dusting tool converter member i'i which connects to the eye il of the fan chamber when the machine is functioning as an oif-the-oor cleaner. The precise relationship of the converter seat and converter is not the essence of the present invention except insofar as hereinafter explained. Within the nozzle I is anagitator 20pivotally mounted upon pivot pins 2|, '2l and adapted to be reciprocated so that the agitating elements 22, 22 contact and beat a surface covering betwee `the nozzle lips 2 and 3. Agitator 20 is actuated by an electrical vibrator 25 mounted within the nozzle in its casing 26 and through which a reciprocated rod 21, driven by the vibrating armature 28 of the vibrator, extends atan air-tight seal '29.. Rod 21 connects within the nozzle proper to a pivoted lever 3i by means of a rubber vexible bushing,the lever itself being connected by such a bushing to its support 32 and to the agitator 20. These resilient, flexible bushing connections, indicated bythe reference character 33.' I

permit the lever 3| to have'a limited pivotal movement about its support 32-under the actuvibrator driven rod 21.

Figure 3 the electrical vibrator 25 is connected by leads 35, across the terminals of the cleaner motor and in series with a switch 35 which -is that within the switch casing 31 of insulating material contacts 33 and 39 are normally in contact with each other under the resilient spring force of the contact 33. When in contact the circuit through the vibrator is closed and with the cleaner connected to the incoming power line, current passes through the vibrator. An actuator is .plvoted to the casing 31 and extendswithin the converter seat I5 with a cam surface 4i so positioned that the insertion of the converter I1 functions to force the actuator 40 linwardly into the` casing 31 to move the resilient contact 33 from the contact 39. This inner position of the actuator 40 is illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 2, as is the open position of contact 33. In this dotted line position no current flows through the .accordance with the present invention in on-thefloor cleaning the suction-creating fan 3 is rotated by the unshown driving motor and is effective to create a reduced pressure within the nozzle which lifts against the surface-contacting lips 2 and 3 the surface covering undergoing cleaning. Cleaning: air is drawn under the lips, passes through the air passageway and fan chamber to be exhausted from the outlet 3 into the illter bag i0. Electrical current passes through the vibrator 25, the armature 23 of which reciprocates to pivot the lever 3| which in turn causes the agitator 20 to pivot about the pin 2| and the beater elements 22, 22 to vibrate in contact with the lifted surface covering. As long as the machine remains in on-the-oor cleaning relationship the machine functions as described. Upon conversion to oil-the-floor cleaning, however, the insertion of the converter I1 into its Seat I8 causes the actuator I0 to be forced inwardly into the 'switch casing 31 resulting in the opening of the switch contacts 33 and 39y andi the disconnection of the vibrator 25 from the current source. 'Thereafter the agitator 25 remains inactive and anarco thecleaner motor alone is energized. This result is desirable as in lofi-the-tloc'n cleaning the surface-agitating means accomplish no useful function.'

I claim:

l. In a suction cleaner adapted for on-the-noor land for oiI-the-floor cleaning and having means -adapted to receive and'seat a dusting tool, a

suction-creating fan, a driving motor therefor, .an agitator, independent electrical drivingmeans therefor, and means in the electrical circuit of said independent driving means responsive to the seating of a dusting tool on said cleaner to convert said cleaner from an on-the-tloor unit to an oir-the-.iloor unit to disconnect electrically the driving means for said agitator.

2. In a suction cleaner adapted for on-the-floolfy and for oiI-the-iloor cleaning,.a suction-creating fan, a'driving motor therefor, a nozzle connected ent electrical driving means for said agitator, and

vto said fan, an agitator in said nozzle, independ-v 20 means operative upon the closing of said nozzle to said fan to open the circuit of said independent driving means.

- 3.k In a suction cleaner, suction-creating means g5 adapted to be connected to an on-the-floor cleaning passageway-or to` an off-the-fioor cleaning passageway, a surface agitator adapted to contact a surface covering simultaneously with said onthe-iloor cleaning passageway, an electrical, vi-

circuit of said vibrator, and' means to open said switch to disconnect said vibrator upon connection of an oiI-the-fioor cleaning passageway to said suction-creating means.

4. In a suction cleaner, a body having a nozzle and a fan chamber, a fan in said chamber, an electric motor to. drive said fan, a reciprocating agitator in said nozzle, an electric vibrator having its reciprocating element connected to said 'f agitator, a dusting tool seat adapted to receive a dusting tool' to be connected to said fan. chamber, a switchin the circuit of said vibrator, an actu'- ator adapted to be contacted by a dusting tool inserted in said seat and to open said switch to render said agitator inoperative.

.HOWARD n' salmo.`

30 brator connected to said agitator, a switch in the 

